Motorcycle Accident Attorney In Denver, CO

Motorcycle riders in the Denver area know that they are at risk every time they are on the road. Drivers who don’t notice motorcycles or respect riders’ right of way regularly cause terrible accidents. Riders are left seriously hurt, laid up and unable to earn an income for themselves and their loved ones.

As a victim of a motorcycle accident caused by a negligent car or truck driver, you could be entitled to full compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and other damages. To get the most favorable compensation, turn to Beem & Isley, P.C., and our highly regarded team of personal injury lawyers.

No matter how experienced a rider you are, how cautious you are when riding or how much safety gear you wear, you cannot control how the drivers around you behave. We represent riders who were hurt by drivers due to:

• Drunk driving
• Distracted driving, such as due to cellphone use
• Road rage
• Failure to yield when turning or changing lanes
• Speeding, running red lights and other traffic violations

Because riders tend to get more seriously injured in collisions with larger vehicles, they need experienced and dedicated legal support to avoid financial catastrophe. Our attorneys are seasoned litigators who regularly take bad drivers and their insurance companies to court to secure favorable verdicts. Remember, insurance companies make their profits, not your needs, their priority. We will make sure you get your say in the process.

Steps To Take Immediately After A Motorcycle Accident

A motorcycle accident leaves a person with some of the most serious injury conditions known, simply because of the factors mentioned above. The steps to take after any accident can be broken down into two phases: the immediate aftermath and the road to recovery.

What To Do In The Immediate Aftermath Of A Motorcycle Accident

The first priority you need to have is your health. Getting to a hospital and receiving treatment is vital to not only save your life but also begin the paperwork trail that will be used in your case. Early medical treatment begins the process and helps track your medical conditions. It will be harder for the insurance company to argue later that your conditions don’t stem from the accident.

Another point that you must take care of is contacting the police about the accident. In any serious accident where there is an injury, Colorado law requires a police report. Often, as a matter of course, someone will contact the police about the accident. Police involvement is so important because their records are another vital piece of information.

The third thing you must do is contact the insurance company to inform them of your injury. This is a high-risk moment for you, as saying too much here can lead to a more difficult road for your compensation.

Steps To Take In The Recovery Phase

In the recovery phase, you will monitor your treatment, compile documentation and continue to heal. This may be when you face your first obstacles from the insurance company. This is likely when you will first think of contacting a lawyer.

The fact is, the earlier you call a lawyer after an accident – in fact, you can call us any time after an accident, even if you are still in the hospital – the better off you are. There are several reasons for that, which we will cover below.

Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Accidents

As motorcycle accident attorneys, our main job is to represent you. However, your needs can go far beyond just the courtroom. You may need significant help, and you may not even know what to do next. We are here to answer all of your questions, such as:

What damages can you sue for in a motorcycle accident claim?

Damages are the dollar amounts you pursue in a personal injury claim. They are a summation of many factors, which include:

• Medical costs: Initial injury treatment, ambulance rides, hospital stays, surgery and medication – these costs quickly become eye-popping. Medical care is not cheap, and the bills do not go away on their own. Even simple medical procedures at the hospital – getting stitches or ingesting ibuprofen – can cost an unfathomable amount.
• Transportation and accommodation costs: In a motorcycle accident, your injuries have the potential to greatly reduce your mobility. In many cases, you could be wheelchair-bound or have special care restrictions. Getting to your home, as well as getting to and from appointments, may require specialized equipment, and you will need assistance paying for that.
• Lost wages and earning potential: In a best-case scenario, you may not miss time at work, but more likely, you will be unable to work for a significant period of time. It could be that you can never work again. The amount of work you missed and your future earning potential are calculable and possibly part of the compensation.
• Pain and suffering: While much harder to calculate, you will undergo immense pressure, pain and difficulty as you recover. You may experience mental anguish facing similar conditions to your accident. These pains that you have from the accident are not something that the court should ignore when considering the compensation you deserve.
• Punitive damages: Punitive damages are other noneconomic damages, like pain and suffering. They are also challenging to calculate, but they serve a different purpose: To punish the at-fault party. If the actions leading up to the accident represent gross negligence or willful action, juries may award some number of punitive damages.

A key factor to understand regarding damages is that, depending on your percentage of fault in the accident, your damages may be reduced because of Colorado’s comparative fault law.

Overall, if you are less than 50% at fault, you can still pursue damages, but the court adjusts the final award by the corresponding percentage of fault. So, a person who is 30% at fault for an accident has their damages awarded reduced by 30%.

What if the person who is liable does not have insurance?

In most cases, the other party’s insurance carrier is the one you will have to pursue for compensation. However, in an uninsured motorist case, things become complex for you, as there is no insurance carrier to pursue. You may have the opportunity to pursue the other driver directly. However, the top reason for not carrying insurance is not being able to afford it.

Your insurance – per Colorado law – includes an uninsured motorist clause. However, the compensation available for that is usually limited. So, the amount of compensation available to you is reduced significantly. In addition, your insurance company will often work against you, as their main priority is to save money.

Still, we can represent you in your case to pursue every bit of the available compensation and reduce your financial burden in the face of massive medical bills. We understand the many challenges ahead of you and will work tirelessly to secure a good outcome for you.

Do motorcyclists always have the right of way?

The right-of-way rules for motorcyclists in Colorado are the same as they are for other vehicles. Following the established rules of the road should earn you the same courtesy and room to maneuver as anyone else.

However, the reality and presence of motorcycles on the road are often lost on other drivers who either do not see them or are actively hostile toward motorcyclists. Almost every biker can think of a close call they’ve had with a larger vehicle. If you have an injury because another driver did not respect your right of way, you can get help.

Why hire a motorcycle accident lawyer?

A motorcycle accident lawyer brings a dimension to your case that you simply do not have: experience. In every phase of your case, at every filing and at every meeting, your attorney has been there before. They understand the expectations and the stakes.

We offer so many advantages to clients who enter into a dispute with insurance over their care. But most of our clients consider the following to be the major benefits:

• Claim management: We take all of the paperwork and claim processing struggles off of you completely. You get to focus on healing, and we confront the insurance companies. The stress and complexity of saying the right thing at every meeting are a lot for you when you’re healing. It’s a lot for you, even if you’re fully healthy. You can let us be your voice.
• Guidance through the law: In any lawsuit or legal negotiation, there is a lot of uncertainty for you. You don’t know the law, and you probably don’t know what the case law says about your situation. We – however – have the experience to put your concerns to rest. We answer questions and provide the clarity you need to make the right choices.
• Compassionate service: Insurance companies – even those that you pay and are meant to be on your side – are frustrating. Their goal is always to minimize the amount of money they have to pay for anything. We are fully on your side and work for you and with you. We show you we care with each filing we make on your behalf.

The benefits of engaging our services are both legal and personal. We put all our efforts into finding ways to help our clients in whatever way we can.

Contact Beem & Isley, P.C., To Speak With A Lawyer

To schedule a free, confidential case review with one of our attorneys, please call our downtown Denver office at 303-894-8100. You can also contact us using our online intake form. We are available for evening and weekend appointments.